


One Moment Changes Everything

by Hunter470



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Family Feels, Fluff, Head Injury, Hurt, Injury Recovery, M/M, New Year's Eve, Permanent Injury, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28069863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hunter470/pseuds/Hunter470
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is one moment, one stupid decision to change everything. How will Steve deal with the fallout when things don't go as planned?
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 22
Kudos: 125





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second time I am posting this story. I actually posted it in January of this year but ended up deleting it because I wasn't completely satisfied with how it turned out. I've made some changes and feel better about the overall narrative. Some of you may have read the original version so this may sound somewhat familiar to you. 
> 
> No beta so I own all errors.
> 
> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

It’s been a year since Steve’s rash actions changed the lives of Danny and his family. In that one moment, that one stupid moment, things would never be the same. Steve would always regret his part in destroying the life of his partner and the lives of his children. 

As usual, Steve didn’t listen to Danny when he said they should wait for backup. If he had just listened, Danny wouldn’t be gone and he wouldn’t be drinking by himself a few weeks before Christmas, his second without Danny and the kids and it was all his fault. 

Steve heard someone approaching and turned around to see a familiar person walking towards where he was sitting on his beach. 

“Hey, Lou.”

“I figured I’d find you here. I’m guessing this is where you spend most of your time when you’re not working.” Lou saw the bottle of scotch sitting in the sand by Steve’s feet and the glass in his hand. “You know, drinking isn’t going to solve anything.”

“Maybe not, but it helps dull the pain.”

“Steve, you have to stop beating yourself up, man.”

“You know I can’t do that, Lou. Danny always said I’d be the death of him.”

“Danny’s not dead.”

“I know but it’s my fault that he lost everything. Hell, I don’t even know how he’s doing. His family has blocked me from seeing him and they won’t even give me updates on his condition. The only thing I know is that he’s no longer in that long term care facility.”

“Why don’t you go to New Jersey and see him for yourself?”

“Lou, I tried and got nowhere. Plus, if Danny wanted me there he’d have called. Hell, he hasn’t replied to any of my messages, which tells me that he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“C’mon, brother...when has that ever stopped you? When Steve McGarrett wants something, he gets it.”

“I can’t. I have to respect his wishes and keep my distance.” 

“Steve, you don’t know what Danny wants since you haven’t even spoken to him.”

“Drop it, Lou. You don’t get it. I ruined his life. If he wanted me, he’d call.”

“I’m not buying it but I’ll drop it for now.” 

“Thank you.”

“Sure.” Lou paused. “So, are Mary and Joanie coming home for Christmas?”

“No, Mary met a guy and she wanted to spend Christmas with him and his family.”

“I see. So, you’ll spend the day with us. Will and Samantha are coming home and Tani, Junior, and Quinn will be stopping by too.”

“Thanks, but I’m really not in the mood to celebrate Christmas this year.”

“Too bad. You’re coming over even if I have to drag your sorry ass to my house myself.”

“Fine, but don’t expect me to be in a celebratory mood.” Steve looked at Lou hoping he’d tell him to stay home but no such luck. 

“Ok, then it’s settled.”

Steve dreaded the thought of pretending to be happy when all he wanted to do is be alone.

***********

Steve woke up panting and covered in sweat. He just had a nightmare about the day Danny got shot. He could see Danny’s lifeless body lying on the ground with a bullet wound to his head. Why didn’t he wait for backup? Fuck! When would this nightmare end? 

His next thought was of Danny lying in the hospital after he came out of surgery. His head was bandaged and he was connected to more machines than Steve cared to think about. 

When Danny’s parents arrived in Hawaii they made it clear to Steve that he was not welcomed at the hospital or around their son. Because he wasn’t married to their son, he had no rights to be there. They even went so far as to get a court order nullifying Steve’s medical proxy for their son. Steve couldn’t understand why Danny’s parents would do this to him. He and Danny were engaged and he wouldn’t want Steve to be banned from being involved in his life and medical decisions. 

After the surgery, Danny never regained consciousness and before long, Clara and Eddie had Danny moved to a long-term care facility in New Jersey. When Steve found out that Danny was being moved, he was prepared to uproot his life to be near him. However, Clara and Eddie told him not to bother because he wasn’t family and he wouldn’t be allowed to see their son. He was the reason why Danny was in this condition and he’d done enough. Steve couldn’t believe how Danny’s parents turned on him so quickly considering he always had a very close relationship with them. Hell, he was going to be their son-in-law in just a few months. This was not how things were supposed to turn out. 

Steve tried to talk to Rachel but that was useless as she sided with Danny’s parents. She told him that Danny always knew he’d be the reason why he got hurt or killed. The worst was when Rachel told him that her children might not ever have their father back because of his actions. Those words felt like a knife being plunged into his heart. 

Shortly after Danny was transferred to the facility in New Jersey, Rachel packed up her house and she and the kids moved so they could be near their father. Steve didn’t even get to say goodbye to Grace or Charlie. 

In the year since the incident, Steve has only gotten a couple of updates on Danny’s condition. He thought he’d be able to get information from Eric but he shut him out for months and then suddenly quit his job and moved back home. Steve continued to try to get information, all of Five-0 tried but when the Williams family circles the wagons, you didn’t stand a chance. Of course he thought about using his connections to get the latest information on Danny’s condition but he truly thought Danny didn’t want anything to do with him…why would he after what he did? Steve laid back in bed as a tear rolled down his cheek. 

***********

Danny’s recovery was slow and difficult. In fact, the doctors didn’t think he’d ever come out of the coma and were shocked when he woke up after six months. Although Danny seemed responsive, because of the location of the gunshot, he couldn’t hear or talk. Another major issue was his memory. Danny couldn’t remember anything after that horrible day his partner Grace was killed in front of him. In his mind he was still married to Rachel with a baby on the way. He had no recollection of his daughter, the divorce, moving to Hawaii, Five-0, Charlie, or his relationship with Steve. The doctors didn’t know if his memories would return. They decided to slowly tell him aspects about his life because they didn’t want to overwhelm him with too much too fast. Ideally, they hoped he would remember his life on his own. 

Clara and Eddie wanted to let Steve know that Danny finally woke up but decided not to out of fear that Danny could have a setback. The rest of the family, including Grace, agreed not to tell Steve anything until they were sure Danny could handle hearing about his life after his divorce with Rachel. 

Although Danny regained the full use of his body, he would never regain his hearing and he was still struggling to talk. He was not handling his diagnosis well and there were days when he didn’t want to get out of bed. Danny thought he didn’t have a life if he couldn’t speak or hear anything. How could he care for his daughter once she was born? How was he going to be able to do the job that he loved…the one thing he was meant to do? He thought it was hopeless….but then he was introduced to a support group for the deaf. At first he fought everything they told him but he slowly started to accept his situation and he realized that things were not hopeless. He met many people in the group that were able to lead very full lives even if they couldn’t hear. They even introduced him to ASL, which he did his best to learn but it was like learning a whole new language. 

A couple of months after he woke up from his coma, Danny started to have flashes of memories. First, it was little things like Grace’s birth and then bigger things like the divorce, custody battle, and his brother’s gruesome death. He hated some of these memory flashes because it felt like he was experiencing the pain for the first time all over again. However, not all the memories were bad. He remembered all the good times with Grace and the birth of his son, Charlie. Then, he started remembering a tall dark haired man with tattoos on his upper arms. These memories always made him feel better but he didn’t know why. One day, he had a flash and he saw himself kissing the man and felt a rush of excitement. Who was he and why did he make him feel so alive?

Danny decided that he wanted his life back and he’d do anything to achieve his goal. Because his mind was as still as sharp as ever, he threw himself into learning ASL. After several months, Danny became fluid in ASL and although he might not be able to return to field duty, Danny would still be able to work on cases from the precinct. So, if and when he ever decided to go back to work he would be ready. 

Danny continued to work with a speech therapist and eventually he was able to speak again, which was music to his family’s ears. 

************

“Hey, Steve.”

Steve turned around and saw Chin who he hadn’t seen in a couple of years. “Chin Ho Kelly! What are you doing here?”

“I came home to visit one of my aunties who’s not doing so well.”

“Sorry to hear. Are you here alone or did Abby and Sarah come with you?”

“Abby and Sarah are here too. It’s been so long since we’ve been back to Hawaii.” Chin looked at Steve and could tell he wasn’t doing great. “I’m also here to see you. I heard about Danny. Sorry I haven’t reached out sooner. How are you doing.” 

Steve tried to hold it together but seeing his old friend he wasn’t able to stop himself from crying. “Yeah, to be honest, I’ve definitely been better. Most days I feel like I’m going to lose it but then I hear Danny’s voice in my head and it calms me down. I just miss him so much and I’ll never stop blaming myself.”

“Steve, you need to stop that…Danny wouldn’t want you to blame yourself. He knew the risks and he always had your back. Shit happens and sometimes things are out of our control.”

“Thanks for saying that Chin but it still doesn’t change the fact that I rushed in like I always do and Danny paid the price.”

“You really need to find a way to deal with this, Steve. Have you talked to anyone about this?”

“I was seeing a therapist for a little while but I stopped going. The only thing that will help is seeing Danny or at least knowing that he’s ok but he’s made it clear he doesn’t want to see me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Steve. Give it some time. I’m sure Danny’s dealing with a lot and once he’s gotten better I know he will come back to you.”

“See that’s just it…he’s been out of the long-term care facility for months and he hasn’t made any attempts to reach out and all of my messages go unanswered. His silence speaks volumes.”

“I don’t believe it…Danny Williams isn’t the silent type. I’m sure you’ll hear from him. Until then, you need to take care of yourself. I spoke to Lou and he invited Abby, Sarah and me to his house for Christmas. I heard you’ll be there too, correct?”

“Yes, I’ll be there.”

“Good, then we will see you there. Let’s try to get together before Christmas too.”

“Ok, sounds good.”

*************

Danny woke up from a dream of the tall dark haired man with tattoos and couldn’t get the name Steve out of his head. Who was this Steve person and why was he in his dreams? He grabbed his tablet and typed the details of the dream as well as the name Steve. The dreams or maybe memories were starting to become more frequent and he needed to ask his parents about them. 

Later that afternoon, Danny was at his parent’s house and he told them about his dream. Because they weren’t fluent in ASL yet, he spoke aloud as he signed. 

“Mom, who is Steve?”

Clara looked at her son and knew that this day was coming. She called her husband into the room so they could explain things together. 

“Son, your mother and I have been wanting to fill you in on some of the details of your life over the past ten years but the doctors told us we should let the memories come back on their own.”

“Yes, we didn’t agree with the doctors but we also didn’t want to do anything that could cause you harm.” Clara smiled. 

“Ok, so who is Steve and why did I dream of us kissing? I’m not gay so help me understand why I was kissing him and why I have these strange feelings?”

“Danny, we’ll tell you about Steve and your life but we’re going to take it slow so you have a chance to process and ask questions. You’ve already been told about your divorce from Rachel and your two children but there is more to the story. To answer your question, Steve was your partner and also your fiancée.”

Danny was shocked by what his mother just told him. This couldn’t be true. He liked women…he was once married to a woman and had two beautiful kids. He didn’t like men that way…did he? Could this be true? He didn’t think it was true but when he thought about this Steve person he felt nothing but love…like he used to feel for Rachel. 

“Son, I can tell you’re having a hard time processing what your mother just told you but it’s true. After the divorce with Rachel, she moved to Hawaii and you followed to be near Grace. Once you were there you met Steve while investigating his father’s murder. One thing led to another and you ended up on his task force and became best friends. Over the course of the years, you fell in love and shortly before your accident, you got engaged. You were so happy.”

“Pop, this is a lot to take in…I’ve never been with a guy before so this is a shock to say the least.”

“Danny, when you told us about your feelings for Steve you explained that it wasn’t that you liked guys all of the sudden…it was more that you fell in love with Steve, who just happened to be a man. You two were always together and he even played a big part in both Grace and Charlie’s lives. The way you spoke about Steve it was clear to us that you were truly in love.”

“Ma, please tell me more. I need to know as much as you can tell me about my time in Hawaii and about Steve.”

“Well, between what both your father and I remember, the emails you sent us over the years, and the stories on the internet about the task force, I’m sure we can fill in the blanks. Anything we don’t know, I’m sure Rachel, Grace and Charlie will be glad to share.”

“Yes, please tell me everything and Pop, can you call Rachel and see if she can bring the kids over?”

“Oh course, son. Your mother and I are so happy you’re starting to remember Steve. I think he is the final piece to help you regain all of your memories.”

“Your father is right…you’re going to get everything back that you lost and right before Christmas. A miracle indeed.” Clara looked at her son with happy tears in her eyes knowing that Danny would soon regain his memories and his life with Steve. 

*************

Steve finished getting dressed and was gathering the gifts he was going to take over to Lou’s when he heard a knock on his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone so he wondered who was there. 

He opened the door and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had to be dreaming. “Danny, is that really you? Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”

“Not dreaming, babe. It’s me.”

Danny voice sounded a bit off but it was probably because he was shocked and couldn’t believe Danny was actually standing in front of him. The sight of the man he loved was almost too much to bare. Danny looked good all things considered. His hair was buzzed short all over and Steve could see the scar from where he was shot. But then he looked into Danny’s eyes, which were as blue as ever…oh and that smile...God, that smile. It was definitely his Danny. He had a million questions. “Danny, what are you doing here? What’s going on? Are you ok? Why haven’t you responded to my calls? Where have you been? How did you get here? Are you alone?”

Danny looked at Steve and was trying to read his lips but he was talking too fast. Steve could see that Danny was confused. “Danny, are you ok?”

“Yes, but you need to slow down. I can’t keep up.” Danny replied and was signing at the same time. 

At first, Steve just thought it was Danny’s normal hand gestures but then he picked up on the fact that he was signing. He knew some ASL from when he learned it in the Navy but he was a bit rusty. He looked at Danny and then it hit him, his best friend, the man that he loved was deaf and it was all his fault. He didn’t even realize that he was crying. 

Danny immediately knew what Steve was thinking and pulled him into his arms. “Steve, stop blaming yourself. You’re not God and shit happens. You didn’t cause this…if anyone is to blame it’s those damn gun runners who shot me.” Danny could feel Steve’s body shake and he knew the man that he loved was finally releasing all the pain and guilt he’d been feeling since Danny got shot. Danny backed up so he could see Steve’s face. He reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks. “Steve, look at me. I’m ok…really. I’m not going to say that everything is perfect but things could be a whole hell of a lot worse. Yeah, losing my hearing sucks but I’m adjusting. I worked very hard to regain my ability to talk and to learn ASL so I could eventually get my life back.” 

Steve looked at Danny and spoke slowly so he could understand what he was saying. “Danny, I’m so sorry for everything. If I had just listened to you and waited for backup.”

“Geeze…you’d think you were the deaf one here. I’m going to say this one more time. This was not your fault. I do not blame you so stop blaming yourself. Do you hear me?”

“But…”

“No buts, babe. Stop it or I’m going to have to get Ma over here to slap some sense into you.”

Steve laughed at the thought of Clara coming over and making him come to his senses. “Please don’t get Clara over here…she’s scary. Quite the protective momma bear.”

“That’s right...you don’t want to mess with her. Trust me.” Danny smiled. 

Steve tried to remember some ASL and stumbled a bit but Danny appreciated the effort. “So, how are you really? Are you back for good?”

“I’m doing much better now. It was rough going and when I woke up several months ago I couldn’t remember anything after my partner Grace was killed back on 9/11. The doctors didn’t know if I’d ever get my memories back but they were hopeful. Ma and Pops filled me in on some details like Rachel and the kids but the doctors didn’t want them to tell me too much in hopes that I’d remember on my own. Plus, they didn’t know if I’d be overwhelmed by too much info too fast.”

“Wow! That explains why you didn’t return my messages. I’m betting your family was making sure you didn’t hear anything that might cause a setback.”

“Yeah, and then about two weeks ago I started having flashes of you and me together. It was very strange having memories of kissing you and not knowing who you were. Plus, I didn’t recall kissing a man before so believe me, when Ma told me about our relationship I was a bit surprised.”

“I can see how that might be surprising.” Steve smiled. 

“Anyway, Ma and Pops filled me in on the missing years as well as our relationship, which led to more questions that they couldn’t answer. So, Rachel, Grace and Charlie filled in the rest. Then, I started reading about Five-0 on the internet and came across a story of that case with the awful deprivation tank…you know, the one where you had on that stupid red suit…well, that story opened the flood gates and all the memories came rushing back to me. It was like watching a movie of our lives and let me tell ya, we’ve had quite a life together haven’t we?” Danny smiled. 

“Danny, I still can’t believe you’re here. I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

“Oh, babe…I didn’t even remember you until two weeks ago and once I remembered, nothing could keep me away. Ma and Pops made all the arrangements and even convinced Rachel to let us bring Charlie. She couldn’t stop Grace now that’s she’s eighteen.”

“Your parents and the kids are here? Where are they?”

“They’re back at the hotel since I no longer have a house here. However, I wanted to come see you first before having them come over. I hope that was ok.” 

“Yes, of course it’s ok. I’m so happy that you’re here. In fact, after tonight they should check out of the hotel and stay here.” 

“Are you sure, babe? I mean I’ve had time to get over the fact they kept you from seeing me…oh and trust me, they got an earful. You would call it an epic Danno rant. So, if you don’t want to see them after they treated you so horribly, I’d understand.”

“Am I mad that they kept me from you…yes…but you’re here and alive. I think I can find a way to forgive them for trying to protect you.” Steve pulled Danny into a hug and then kissed him. Danny was surprised at first but it felt like no time had passed between them. Both men were getting into the kiss and their bodies were definitely responding. 

“Steve, we should stop.”

Steve looked at Danny. “Is everything ok?”

“Yes, more than ok but I’m a bit tired from the flight and I’d like to rest for a bit.”

“Oh, of course. I’m sorry…I was just so excited to see you and I didn’t think.”

“It’s ok. I just need a little time. Plus, I need to Facetime my parents to give them an update. I know they want to see you and the kids are probably about ready to hop into an Uber to come over and be with us.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t come with you.” Steve laughed. “Um, can I get you anything? A glass of water?”

“That would be great.” Danny saw the gifts by the door and wondered if he was interrupting Steve’s plans. “Steve, before you get that water, am I keeping you from something? I didn’t mean to intrude. I never asked how you were…maybe you’ve moved on?”

“No, Danny I haven’t moved on…I couldn’t. You’re my everything and I couldn’t give up on you. As far as interrupting me, it’s nothing…I was about to go over to Lou’s for Christmas.”

“Oh, ok. Well, maybe I should call an Uber and head back to the hotel so you can spend time with Lou and his family.”

“No…you’re not leaving me…you’re never leaving me again.” 

“I’m not going anywhere, babe. I’m home for good. I’d even like to come back to work in whatever capacity I can…I need to feel like things are back to normal.”

A sense of relief washed over Steve and he smiled at Danny. “You are normal and we’ll figure things out with Five-0…you know I want you back and the team will be thrilled as well.” Steve hugged Danny. “I have an idea. Why don’t you rest and then we can go to Lou’s together. I’m sure everyone will be shocked and happy to see you. Would you be up for that?”

“I think so. I’d like to bring Ma, Pops, and the kids too. After all, it’s Christmas and I can’t leave them alone in the hotel.”

“That sounds perfect to me. In fact, this is the most perfect Christmas ever. You, me, and the kids…I couldn’t ask for anything more.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's been back in Hawaii for a week and he and Steve are adjusting to their new normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To indicate when characters are speaking and using ASL, the dialogue will be in italics. 
> 
> No beta so I own all errors.
> 
> I don't own Hawaii Five-0 or any the characters. No copyright infringement intended.

It’s been a week since Danny returned to Hawaii and things were starting to get back to some sense of normalcy. The Christmas gathering at Lou’s was nice and his friends were happy to see Danny but also sad about his loss of hearing. Doing what he always did, Danny made everyone feel comfortable with the situation. Oh, and he loved how quickly Tani jumped in and used ASL with him. She had learned it several years earlier with she was a lifeguard after being kicked out of the police academy.

Because Danny didn’t have his house anymore, Steve insisted that he move in with him. After all, they were engaged before the incident and Danny really couldn’t argue with Steve’s logic. So, after Christmas he moved into his fiancée’s house. Oh yeah, Steve didn’t waste any time reaffirming their engagement and Danny didn’t hesitate to say yes.

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the two men cleaned up the spare room downstairs for Danny’s parents. The two extra rooms were already set up for Grace and Charlie since they would stay over quite often before Danny’s injury. Steve even called a consultant to help him make sure the house was accessible for someone who was deaf.

Once Steve had some guidance, he was off and running setting up special lights that would flash when someone was at the door, a video doorbell that sent alerts to Danny’s phone and smart watch, special smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with flashing lights, and many other small but helpful changes around the house.

Danny was also sure Steve asked the consultant about modifications for the Five-0 office as well. God he loved the man for being such a control freak sometimes. There was no doubt he was going to make Danny’s transition back to work go as smooth as possible.

There was one other thing Danny should have known, which was how quickly Steve would learn ASL. The man already spoke multiple languages so it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Of course, he did have a good foundation after learning the basics in the Navy. Danny loved how committed Steve was to making his life easier.

Everything was perfect. Well, maybe not everything, at least not at first. You see, even though Steve initially said he could forgive Danny’s parents, he still had some, let’s say not so good feelings, towards Clara and Eddie. Danny figured it would take some time for Steve to get past what they did to him after the accident. He couldn’t blame him either.

So, after Christmas, Steve, Clara, and Eddie had a long conversation. Danny had taken the kids outside to give his parents and Steve some privacy, which was a good idea because things got a bit heated. Danny could hear Steve’s raised voice and again, he couldn’t blame the man. After the accident, his parents shut Steve out and blamed him for what happened to their son. Then, they wouldn’t allow him to even see Danny.

Thankfully, after an hour, Steve and Danny’s parents were in a better place...not perfect but they came to an understanding. There was still work to be done to fully repair their relationship but at least they took the first step in that direction.

Now, it was New Year’s Eve and they planned to have everyone over to celebrate. Everything was set for a nice gathering with their ohana. Champaign was chilling, Kamekona was bringing the food, the party hats, horns, and confetti, which Grace and Charlie insisted on having, were laid out on a side table, and Flippa was going to provide the music. 

“Ok, Ma and Pops have the kids and won’t be home for at least another hour and our guests should start showing up around 7:00. What should we do until then?” Danny winked.

Steve knew what he wanted to do but didn’t want to move too fast. Trying to remember his ASL he signed his response. _“Would you be up for a little kissing?”_

_“You have to ask?”_ Danny replied.

Steve grabbed Danny and pulled him over to the couch. Once they were sitting next to each other, Steve looked into Danny’s eyes and smiled. Then, he gently ran his hand down Danny’s cheek, took his chin in his hand, leaned in, then kissed him. Of course they’ve kissed several times since Danny returned but this felt different…it was full of hope and promise for a better year ahead. As they continued to kiss, Danny felt his watch vibrate. The motion sensor at the front door was triggered.

“Babe, we have company.” Danny showed Steve his watch and he got up to answer the door.

Steve opened the door and was surprised to see Mary and Joan standing on the other side.

“Hey, big bro!”

“Mary, what are you two doing here?”

“Well, a little birdie told me my soon-to-be brother-in-law was back and I had to see for myself. Where is that cute fiancée of yours?” Mary called out for Danny and walked past Steve, who now found himself with his niece in his arms.

“Uncle Steve.” Joanie smiled then kissed Steve on the cheek.

“Hey, Joanie. What a nice greeting.” Steve grinned and then followed Mary into the house.

“Danny! Oh my god! You are back! I’m so happy to see you.”

_“Hi, Mary. It’s good to see you too.”_ Danny smiled and Mary noticed he was signing as he spoke.

Without missing a beat, Mary started signing while she spoke. _“Steve mentioned you lost your hearing because of the accident. Sorry to hear.”_

_“Thanks. It’s been an adjustment but I’m thankful to be alive.”_

_“Damn straight…and I’m thankful you are too. It must be nice however…”_

Danny looked at Mary quizzically wondering what she meant.

“Oh, sorry, just meant it must be nice having a reason to no listen to this one over here.” Mary pointed to her brother.

“Hello? I’m standing right here.” Steve looked at his sister pointedly.

_“What? Am I wrong, Danny?”_

Danny laughed and loved how normal this all felt. Mary was just being Mary and he loved her for it. _“You’re not wrong.”_ Danny smiled.

_“See, you always have to look for the silver lining.”_ Mary grinned.

_“So, where did you learn ASL?”_ Danny asked.

_“Oh, I help out at Joanie’s school a couple days a week and she has a couple deaf classmates. So, all the volunteers had to learn in order to communicate with the kids. Joanie even knows ASL.”_

Danny looked at Joanie and started to sign. _“Hi, Joanie. Do you remember me?”_

Joanie looked at him as if he was silly and then started to sign _. “Of course I do. You’re Uncle Danno and you like giraffes.”_

_“That’s right…who doesn’t love a giraffe?”_ Danny signed and Joanie laughed. _“Mary, thank you.”_

“What for?”

“For just being yourself.”

“Of course. Who else would I be? You know I can’t change much to the chagrin of my brother.” Both she and Danny started to laugh.

“You two are not that funny.”

“Oh, did we hurt the poor Super SEAL’s feelings?” Danny teased.

“No.” Steve was practically pouting.

“Ok, I think we’ve teased him enough. Sorry, bro.” Mary hugged Steve.

“You’re forgiven.” Steve took a breath. “It’s really good to see you, Mary. I’m glad you came.”

“No place I’d rather be. Plus, it looks like you’re having a party so my timing is perfect.”

“Yeah, we’re having the ohana over to celebrate the new year.” Danny added.

“Well, then my timing _is_ perfect.” Mary laughed. “Ok, I’m going to get this little one something to eat. You two can go back to making out.” Mary and Joanie made kissing noises as well as signed kisses as they walked away.

“Sorry about her, Danno.”

“It’s ok, babe. I’m glad she’s acting as if nothing has changed.” Danny smiled. “I don’t think we give her enough credit sometimes.”

“You might be right.” Steve agreed. “Ok, where were we? Oh, that’s right.” Steve pulled Danny close and kissed him until Mary and Joanie came back into the living room.

“Mare, I didn’t even ask, do you have somewhere to stay?”

“If you’ve got the space…otherwise, Noelani said we could crash at her place.”

Danny looked at Steve. “Nonsense, we’ll make room for you here. Family should stay together.”

“Danny’s right. Charlie can sleep with Danny and me and you and Joanie can have his room.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to kick Charlie out of his room.”

“Mary, trust me, when my son hears he gets to sleep in bed with his Uncle Steve, he’ll be the happiest kid ever.”

“I agree with Danny. Charlie will be more than ok giving up his room. Although, we’ll have to inflate the air mattress for you because there’s no way you’ll both fit in Charlie’s race car bed.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…I’m not a giant like you.” Mary laughed. “But you may want to have that air mattress ready just in case. Thanks guys.”

“You’re welcome.” Steve smiled.

**************

Clara, Eddie, Grace, and Charlie showed up shortly after Mary’s arrival. They had spent the day shopping for new clothes since most of their stuff was still back in New Jersey. Charlie was excited to see Joanie and Grace immediately went upstairs to show her Aunt Mary her new clothes. Clara and Eddie went to their room to rest before the guests arrived. Danny and Steve sat on the couch and watched Charlie and Joanie play with Eddie the dog that is.

“Hey Charlie, can you come here for a minute?”

“Sure, Danno.” Charlie ran over to his father and Uncle Steve.

“So, Aunt Mary and Joanie are going to stay here with us. Would you mind letting them us your room and you can bunk with me and Uncle Steve?”

Charlie looked at his dad and uncle and then he smiled. “Yes! I would love that, Danno. It’s always fun when I can sleep in the big bed with you guys.”

“Are you sure, buddy.” Steve asked.

“Yes, Uncle Steve. Joanie can use my racecar bed. I don’t mind sharing.” 

“That’s my man.” Steve and Charlie bumped fists.

“You’re a good boy, Charlie. Danno is proud of you.”

Charlie looked at his dad and signed ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you’ to his father. Danny hugged his son and Steve took a picture with his phone. He knew Danny would love seeing it later.

*************

The evening was going great and everyone was enjoying the food, music, and good company. Lou and Renee were talking to Chin and Abby. Tani and Junior were flirting with each other oblivious to those around them. Grace and Will were hanging out with Nahele talking about the latest movies they had seen. Adam was discussing something with Duke and Noelani while Kamekona and Flippa were entertaining Charlie, Joanie, and Sara. Steve was talking to Mary and Danny was spending time talking with his parents.

There were still a couple of hours until midnight and Charlie, Joanie, and Sara were getting tired and agreed to take a nap only after their parents promised to wake them up before midnight.

Danny, who was still a bit overwhelmed with not being able to hear everything around him, tried his best to read the lips of his guests, which he was getting much better at if he did say so himself. Plus, he wasn’t an amazing detective for nothing…his ability to read facial expressions and body language, which were always amazing when interviewing witnesses or suspects, had actually gotten better since he lost his hearing. Although, Danny was still figuring things out, he was dealing with the silence remarkably well.

Steve was by his side for most of the night and Danny had to force him to mingle with their other guests. He didn’t want the man to feel like he had to be glued to him all evening. So, as he watched his fiancée from across the room, he was so thankful he survived and was now back where he belonged – in Hawaii with his ohana. He was also thankful that Rachel, after deciding she was moving back to London to be near her mother, actually gave Danny have custody of Charlie so he could grow up near his father. It was decided that she would either visit over the summer or Charlie would visit London her during his summer break from school. Because Grace was over 18, she decided that she was going to take the next semester off to help her father and then transfer to UH for the following fall semester. Things were definitely working out much better than he’d hoped.

Danny was quickly pulled from his thoughts when he noticed everyone in the room turn in his direction. Their guests were now looking at him. He was confused at their actions until he felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Kono?” Danny spoke but it was barely audible to anyone but the woman standing in front of him.

“Hey, Brah!” Kono smiled. 

Danny was so overcome with emotion that he pulled her into a hug and started to cry. He was so happy to see her that he was having a hard time processing his feelings. Kono squeezed the blond tight and could now feel the tears running down her cheeks.

Danny pulled out of the hug and smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“When I heard you were back I wrapped up my case and jumped on the first plane.” Kono smiled. “I had to see you for myself.”

“I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Kono pulled Danny into another hug. He hadn’t seen Kono in several years other than on video calls so having her here in person was just amazing.

Everyone watched as the two friends got reacquainted. Steve couldn’t stop smiling knowing how happy Danny was right now. It was a sight to see.

“Steve, you look happy.” Lou commented.

“That’s because I am…I never thought Danny would be back…that he’d want to be with me again. “

“Well, I knew you two would be together again. Anyone with eyes could see how much love you had for each other…a love like that doesn’t just stop.”

“You did tell me not to give up.” Steve smiled.

“Damn straight! Why people don’t listen to me I’ll never know.” Lou huffed.

“I guess we’re going to have listen better from now on.”

“That’s right. You all need to listen to what I have to say. Now, if you can get Renee to agree, I’ll be set.”

“Yeah, not touching that one with a ten foot pole. I’m not crazy.” Steve laughed.

“Shoot…and you call yourself a Navy SEAL. Ha!”

Steve smiled and then bumped shoulders with his friend. “Ok, I’m going to say hi to Kono. You coming?”

“You go, I’ll be over in a minute.”

Steve walked across the room and approached Danny and Kono. As soon as Kono saw him, she raced over and wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. Their reunion was filled with smiles and happy tears. Kono updated Steve on what was going on in her life and how fulfilled she was with her work. Steve looked at her with so much pride knowing that he and Danny brought her into Five-0, which helped her grow as a law enforcement professional. She was even more successful than anyone could have envisioned.

After Danny and Steve had their time with Kono, the rest of the ohana welcomed her to the party and got caught up on her life. Adam and Kono even had some time to themselves to talk, which ended up being what both of them needed.

“I can’t believe Kono is here.”

“I’m glad she could make it.”

“Should I take it that you had a hand in this?”

“Well, I called to update her on you and she wanted to be here if she could swing it. I wasn’t sure she’d even make it in time but I’m glad she did.”

“Thank you, babe. You’re really something else.”

“You’re worth it, Danno.” Steve leaned down and kissed his fiancée. 

Grace tapped her father on the shoulder and he turned to look at her. _“Danno, it’s almost midnight. We should wake up Charlie.”_

_“Oh, you’re right. I lost track of time.”_ Danny smiled. _“Monkey, would you mind waking up Charlie and Joanie?”_

_“Sure. I’ll take Will with me to help.”_ Grace grinned and then walked away for wake up the little ones.

“Well, it looks like this crappy year is just about over.” Steve let out a deep breath.

“Yes, and good riddance.” Danny replied and then wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist.

Steve called out to the party goers. “We’ve got less than 10 minutes before midnight. Make sure you have some champaign ready to toast in the new year.”

Their friends and family quickly grabbed some party hats, noise makers, confetti, and campaign, juice for the kids, and got ready.

As the clock counted down to midnight, Steve turned Danny so he could see their ohana and what he saw practically brought tears to his eyes. Everyone was counting down using ASL. He couldn’t believe what they were doing. Then, at midnight, everyone signed Happy New Year, which pushed him over the edge and he was now full on crying.

_“Happy New Year, babe.”_

_“Happy New Year, Danno.”_ Steve pulled his fiancée close and kissed him, which was sweet and gentle, and somehow, it was as if the pain they both felt over the past year was fading away.

The kiss was also a promise of their future together...a new beginning…one where they would be able to take on any challenge because they had each other, their ohana, and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. If you like, feel free to leave kudos or comments...they are always appreciated but not necessary.
> 
> Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. If you like, feel free to leave kudos or comments...they are always appreciated but not necessary. Cheers!


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